Who I Am
by Mysterious Miss
Summary: Everyone has secrets. There are those who are trying to find out what it is that he is hiding and when his greatest secret comes into question, he will do anything to keep it hidden. Because if they knew his true identity, who knows what would happen.
1. Chapter One: Who Are You?

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, would I be writing fan fiction? – I obviously don't own Naruto.

AN: I have not abandoned my other stories. I'm halfway through the next chapter of The Meaning of Dreams; I'm also almost halfway done with the next chapter of The Lost Son. I'm not really sure where I'm going with Memories of a Lifetime, but I'm sure I'll figure it out soon. This is a story idea I've had and decided to see what I can do with it and where it takes me. I apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes that I may have made.

Chapter One: Who are you?

* * *

"_Mommy! Daddy! Watch this!" said the four year old boy as he tried to climb a tree._

"_Be careful, Naruto. I don't want you to fall and get hurt," said the boy's father as he walked over to the tree his son was attempting to climb._

"_You worry too much. You're such a mother hen at times, Minato-kun. Sometimes I wonder, with the way you act, if you were the one who carried him for nine months," said a young woman with long red hair. _

"_I believe I worry just enough, Kushina-chan."_

"_I think that becoming the Hokage has made you overly paranoid."_

"_Help me up!" Naruto said, realizing he couldn't make it up the tree on his own._

"_What do you need to say?" Kushina asked._

"_Please! Please help me up!"_

"_Alright," Minato said, picking up his son and placing him on a low branch while not letting go of him. _

"_Thank you, daddy. Let me go… please?" Naruto asked as he tried to squirm out of his father's hold._

"_No, I don't want you to fall."_

_The little boy pouted before looking around. "Wow! I'm so far up!"_

_Kushina gave her son a smile before responding, "Yeah, I think you're taller than me now."_

_Naruto gasped before turning to his father. "Am I really taller than mommy?" he asked._

"_Right now you are," Minato said with a small smile._

"_Cool!"_

* * *

"-shi!…Arashi!…ARASHI!"

"Err… yeah? What do ya want, Iruka-sensei?" asked a boy with brown spiky hair.

"I want for you to not fall asleep when I am teaching."

"I'll try, Sensei," the boy known as Arashi said.

Iruka sighed and turned back to the board to continue the lesson. When Iruka had his back turned, Arashi turned to the boy he was sitting next to.

"Hey, Shikamaru… How come he rarely catches you when you're sleeping?" whispered Arashi.

"It's too troublesome to explain," responds Shikamaru.

"Aww! Come on!"

Shikamaru gives a small sigh before saying, "I try to sleep sitting up or with a book in front of my face… Also, I don't snore."

"I do not snore!"

"It's too troublesome to start arguing with you."

"And what's that suppo-"

"Shikamaru! Arashi! Do you boys have something to share?" Iruka asked as he turned back around to face the boys.

"Nope," Arashi responded.

"Then quit talking and listen."

"Okay."

"Now, as I was saying before…"

* * *

"Stupid Iruka-sensei… giving us all that homework… 'The graduation exam is coming up. You need to be sure that you're well prepared.'… Bah! I hate homework!" Arashi mumbled as he walked into his one room apartment.

The kitchen was on the right when you walked into the apartment. Arashi's kitchen was made up of a mini refrigerator, a sink and countertop, two cabinets, a small stove, a table, and a chair. On the left of the apartment was his bed, which was next to a window, and a nightstand with an alarm clock. At the far end of the apartment were two doors; one led to a small bathroom and the other led into a closet that stored copies of his usual outfit – orange pants, black shirt, and an orange jacket. A small sofa was pushed up against the wall between the two doors. The décor of the room consisted of pale green walls with scattered posters tacked on them.

"I'm just not gonna do the homework. I already know what I need to know. I'll pass the exam for sure!" Arashi said to himself as he walked to the kitchen area. He opened the refrigerator and looked around in it before going over to one of the two cabinets and rummaging through it.

'_Looks like I need to get some more food. All I have left to eat is some instant ramen, celery, some close-to-being-expired milk, and an unidentifiable greenish-blue thing that's growing in the corner of the refrigerator... I should probably clean out the refrigerator before that thing starts to move or grow eyes or something,'_ Arashi thought as he pulled the ramen out of the cabinet and started to prepare it. _'I'll have to get some more hair dye while I'm out getting groceries. I think I'm almost out of that too.'_

After about three minutes, Arashi sat down at the table and began to eat his meal. _'It's not that late. After I'm done eating, I'll go do my shopping. I think have enough money left over from this month's allowance to get some of what I need now instead waiting for the beginning of next month.'_

As soon as he finished eating, Arashi grabbed his wallet and headed out the door.

'_All right, I've got some apples, some fish, and some bread. Now all I need to do is get the hair dye. I'll wait to get some milk since I don't have that much money left,'_ Arashi thought as he left a grocery store with two bags in his arms. It was getting late and the sun was starting to set.

"Umm…" _'Damn. I forgot where I got the dye from last time.' _Arashi made it a habit to get his hair dye from a different store than the one he went to last time when he needed some more. He didn't want any one to find out or get suspicious about it.

'_I haven't been to the store near the Hokage Tower in a while. I'll just go there. I hope it's still open for the day.'_

Arashi rushed down the street, hoping that the store wasn't already closed. As he began to turn a corner he thought, _'If it's closed, I guess I can just get some tomor-'_

BAM!

"Oww!…" _'What ran into me… or what did I run into?'_ Arashi was on the ground with his groceries spread out around him.

"Are you okay?"

As Arashi looked up to see what, or who, he ran into, the color drained from his face. _'Oh no!'_

* * *

"You know you didn't have to come here to get me," said the Fourth Hokage.

"I know, but I was already out of the house and I knew that since you weren't already home, we wouldn't be eating until the moon was out if I let you try to finish up all this paperwork," Kushina said to her husband.

"Sorry, Kushina-chan. I get flooded with all this paperwork and-"

"You lose track of time. It's fine. Comes with the job, right?"

"Yeah. Come on, let's go get something to eat," Minato said as he got up out of his chair and walked around his desk.

"Are you sure you don't want to finish up here? I can wait."

"Yeah, I'm sure, let's go."

Both Minato and Kushina walked out of the Hokage office and down the hall. The Fourth Hokage nodded to the various ninjas they passed as the walked. Once they left the building, they made a right and walked side by side.

"Do you want to go to a restaurant or eat at home tonight?" Minato asked.

"Hmm… Do you feel like eating at that one barbeque place?"

"Sounds good," Minato said as they started to turn down a different street.

"I heard they had a ne-Oof!" Kushina said as someone ran into her.

"Are you-?" Minato began but Kushina waved him off and nodded her head. They both turned their attention to the young boy who ran into Kushina. He was on the ground and whatever he was carrying – groceries, it looked like – was also on the ground around him.

"Are you okay?" Kushina asked him.

The brown haired boy looked up and the color drained from his face. The boy immediately looked back at the ground.

"Y-yondaime-sama, Kushina-sama... I-I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," the boy said as he began to quickly gather his groceries and put them back in the bags.

'_The kid seems nervous,'_ Minato thought.

"It's fine," Kushina said as she bent down to help the boy with his belongings.

"Ah! No, it's all right. You don't have to help," said the boy in a shaky voice when he saw Kushina getting ready to help him. He rushed to get the rest of his things. "I really should get going."

'_Normally children take to Minato like a fish to water. Why does this boy seem scared?'_

"Are you all right?" Minato asked as he put a hand on the boy's shoulder and Kushina crouched down near of the boy. The boy flinched at the contact and his eyes flashed back and forth between the two of them. _'He has blue eyes,'_ Minato noted. _'Almost like…'_

_--"Mommy! Daddy! Watch this!"--_

"What's your name?" Kushina asked softly, catching Minato attention.

"…Arashi."

They saw the boy's eyes dart from the ground to Kushina then to Minato and then back to the ground again.

"Well, umm… I gotta go. Bye," the boy said as turned and rushed away. Instead of stopping him, Minato let the blue-eyed boy go.

"I wonder what was bothering him?" Minato asked as he held out his hand to help his wife stand back up.

"You're the Hokage and I'm the Hokage's wife. He was probably intimidated by us, especially since he ran into us, well, he ran into me," Kushina answered.

"Hmm… I don't think we are that intimidating."

"We aren't… at least, other people don't act that way. Whenever you go visit the Academy, you've said the kids are all over you and asking you questions. I think the boy was embarrassed about running into me."

"He might just be shy, like Hiashi's girl, Hinata."

"Hmm…I don't know."

* * *

'_I've got to leave. Now!'_ Arashi thought after he gave his name. _'Let's hope they let me go… Preferably without further questioning.'_

"Well, umm… I gotta go. Bye," Arashi said as he quickly turned and jogged back the way he came from, leaving the Fourth Hokage and his wife behind.

'_I haven't ran into them in years. I've always been careful to avoid them. Why did I have to run into them?'_ Arashi thought as he made his way back to his apartment, turning his head to check behind him, making sure that he wasn't being followed.

Once he got inside his apartment and shut the door, he put the bags on his table and made his way to his bed. He sat down and put his head in his hands, hiding his face. _'Why? If they find out who I am… If they find out that I'm not who I say I am, that my name really isn't Arashi…'_ The boy brought his head out of his hands and looked out the window.

_'What would happen if they find out that I'm not dead? What would happen if they find out that I'm the son they lost? What would happen if they find out that I'm Naruto?'_

* * *

AN: So, what do you think? Should I continue? The thing about "this month's allowance" is that since he's an "orphan" the village pays him an allowance each month to help him get by. Though I may not update as often as I would like – I get swamped with homework – I will _try_ to update at least one of my stories every week.


	2. Chapter Two: What's Going To Happen?

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, would I be writing fan fiction? – I obviously don't own Naruto.

Summary: Everyone has secrets. There are those who are trying to find out what it is that he is hiding and when his greatest secret comes into question, he will do anything to keep it hidden. Because if they knew his true identity, who knows what would happen.

AN: I'm going to refer to Naruto as Naruto instead of Arashi since you know that Arashi is Naruto – If it's too confusing, tell me, and I'll go back to calling him Arashi. Review Please.

Chapter Two: What's Going To Happen?

* * *

"Today i-"

The door slammed open and a brown haired boy ran into the classroom cutting off what Iruka was saying. As some of the students started to giggle, Iruka gave a loud sigh and began to say, "Arashi-"

"Sorry I'm late, Iruka-sensei. I swear I set my alarm but it didn't go off for some reason and I overslept," Naruto said with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Well, I suppose you made it just in time since we haven't started yet. Go sit in your seat, Arashi, so we can begin."

Naruto walked back to his usual seat next to Shikamaru. As he sat down, Shikamaru turned to him and whispered, "Your alarm hasn't gone off for the past week. Maybe you should get a new one."

Naruto gave an awkward chuckle and said, "I guess I should."

Shikamaru gave him a questioning look before muttering, "troublesome" and turning to face the front of the room. Naruto knew that Shikamaru knew that something was up, but Shikamaru didn't want to make a big deal out of it. Naruto wanted to tell Shikamaru because he knows that Shikamaru would probably be able to help, but he didn't want to drag Shikamaru into his problems. And no matter how much he trusted Shikamaru, he didn't really want to give up his biggest secret.

Naruto actually woke up on time this morning, and the past week, but he kept letting his paranoia get to him. Ever since he literally ran into Minato and Kushina, he goes to extra lengths to try to be sure it doesn't happen again. When he leaves his apartment to go to the academy or anywhere else, Naruto takes back ways and alleys to avoid the main streets as much as he can. He doesn't want to risk running into them again, so it takes him longer to get to where he needs to go. He means to wake up earlier or leave his apartment earlier, but it doesn't happen, so he's late.

"As I was saying, today is the graduation exam. The exam has been split into four parts. There will be a written exam to test your knowledge, a weapons exam to test your accuracy with throwing weapons, a taijutsu exam to determine your strength, and finally, a ninjutsu test that will show your chakra capacity and chakra control," said Iruka. "Both myself and Mizuki will be grading all of you on your performance."

"I will be passing out the written exam," said Mizuki as he stood from where he was sitting behind the desk. "Once you get the test, there will be no talking. Do not turn it over until I say to begin. You will have one hour to complete this test."

"Man… I hate written tests," Naruto groaned under his breath as he watched Mizuki make his way through the classroom.

Once every student had a test, Mizuki made his way to the front of the classroom. "You may turn the test over and begin."

The sound of papers shuffling filled the room for a moment before it was replaced by the sounds of pencils scratching away on paper.

Naruto looked down at his own paper with a worried expression. _'Okay, I can do this. It can't be that bad… Let's see, question number one – Two enemy ninja are running on a cliff 20 yards southwest of your position. A third ninja is coming from the south and will reach you in about 30 seconds. You have chakra left for only one jutsu and are down to your last kunai. What is the approximate trajectory in which your kunai will travel in order to hit both enemy ninja on the cliff? What will you do to avoid the third enemy ninja who is closing in on you from the south? … AH! What the hell?! … I'll just look at the next question… eh? Number three? …. Four? …. Ten?'_

Naruto slammed his head down on the desk drawing the attention of a few people close to him. _'…I am sooooo screwed!'_

* * *

"Pencils down."

"We will move onto the next test - weapon throwing. Bring your test to the front desk and make your way outside to the targets," said Iruka. As the students got up and started walking, the talking started back up.

"So how'd you do?" Naruto asked Shikamaru and Chouji as they made their way outside.

"Feh, I know that I didn't fail it," said a boy who came up from behind the trio.

"I didn't ask you, dog breath."

"Too bad, idiot, cuz I answered anyway," said Kiba as his dog barked in agreement. "So, do you think you failed it?"

"N-no. Of course not!" exclaimed Naruto.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.

"Quiet down and form three lines in front of the targets," Iruka said. "You will be tested on your accuracy in kunai and shuriken throwing. If you want to throw senbon and hit the target with precision, you will get extra credit added onto your score."

"Once you have finished, you will come over to me and be graded on your taijutsu skills," Mizuki said.

* * *

"Have you managed to get a handle on your chakra?" asked a raven-haired boy.

"Kinda," responded Naruto.

Naruto managed to get an 8 out of 10 for both the kunai and shuriken throwing. When it came to the taijutsu test, the Naruto had to spar with another student. Although he still had trouble with his taijutsu forms and he kept getting hit, Naruto also kept getting back up and managed to land a few hits on his opponent. Naruto wasn't sure what he got on the taijutsu test but he hoped it was enough to pass.

Now he was sitting in the classroom waiting to be called into a different room to be tested on ninjutsu. He was currently sitting next to Sasuke.

"What do you mean 'kinda'? Only a total idiot like you wouldn't have been practicing the chakra control exercise," Sasuke said.

"Hey! I have been practicing! It's just hard."

A few years ago, when Naruto first started the Academy, he met Sasuke. At first, he and Sasuke clashed a lot, with their very different personalities, but after a few months they realized that they had unintentionally became friends. Ever since Sasuke saw that Naruto had trouble with the low level jutsu they were learning, he tried to help him. Both Naruto and Sasuke couldn't figure out what Naruto was doing wrong. After experimenting for a while, they found out that Naruto was using way too much chakra. Naruto didn't know how to not use so much chakra so the boys asked Sasuke's older brother, Itachi, who showed them to walk up trees using chakra. Since then Naruto's control has gotten better but it's still not up to par.

"It's not that ha-" Sasuke began but was interrupted by Iruka coming into the room and calling out Sasuke's name.

"Looks like it's my turn," said Sasuke as he got up.

"Good luck."

"Hn. Just don't fail, moron," Sasuke said before he left the room.

* * *

"-up, Arashi! Get up!"

"Huh?" Naruto said sleepily as he sat up.

"You need to get up, Arashi. It's your turn to be tested," Iruka said.

Naruto looked around the room and saw that he was the last person left in the room. _'I guess I fell asleep soon after Sasuke left.'_

"I'm up," Naruto said as he leapt up and followed Iruka into a different room.

After Iruka made his way behind a table that Mizuki was also stationed at, he motioned for Naruto to stand in the middle of the room.

"Arashi, you passed the weapons throwing portion of the exam and you barely managed to pass the taijutsu part; but you failed the written test. To pass the graduation exam you have to pass at least three of the four exams," Iruka said.

Naruto nodded. _'Okay, I just have to pass this last exam and I'll be a genin. I just hope that I don't have to do Bunshin no jutsu (Clone technique). Sometimes I can do them and they hold for about five seconds, but other times I can't do them at all. My chakra control isn't good enough yet.'_

"Out of the three basic ninjutsu that you have been taught here at the Academy, you are to perform the…" Iruka paused to shuffle through some papers before he looked back at Naruto and said, "Bunshin no jutsu"

Naruto sighed. _'…Damn it!'_

* * *

"Hey, look mom! I passed! I'm a -"

"Congratulations son -"

"I can't wait to go on missions -"

"You did very good -"

As parents and other family members of the newly graduated genin gathered around the front of the Academy to congratulate their son, daughter, brother, or sister, one boy sat on a swing, further away from the crowd. The young boy was staring at the ground with a dejected look on his face.

'_I really thought I would make it this time… I bet the Elders are happy that the demon child didn't graduate,'_ Arashi thought bitterly as he remembered his first meeting with the Elders.

_

* * *

_

_A small, blond boy that looked to be about five or six years old was running down an empty street, heading towards the Hokage Tower. The boy looked tired and his blond hair was unrecognizable with all the dirt he was covered in, but he still kept running. _

_Before he could get far, a man in an ANBU style mask appeared in front of him and stopped him. Naruto later found out that the man was a member of Root._

"_Naruto Namikaze."_

_It wasn't a question; it was a statement. _

"_Y-yeah?" Naruto answered._

_The man didn't respond, but he moved toward the boy. Naruto moved back as the man moved towards him, but the man reached over and grabbed the boy, transporting them to a different location. _

_After a moment of disorientation, Naruto looked around at the new surroundings, a little scared. It was a small room with three older people sitting in front of him, two men and one woman. The man who took him here was behind him. A moment later, the man in the mask bowed and disappeared out of the room. _

"_Naruto," said the older man who had bandages on his face._

"_Wh-who are you? Where am I? Where's mom and dad? I-I was trying to go find them. Wh-where are they?" asked the frightened young boy. _

"_Naruto Namikaze," the man said sternly. _

"_H-huh?"_

* * *

'_That was when I found out about-'_ Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of one of his teachers, Mizuki.

"What do you want Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto asked softly.

"I know that you really wanted to graduate, Arashi."

"Yeah. So?"

"Not very many people know about this but there is a secret exam, and if you successfully pass it, you can redeem yourself and become a genin."

"Really?!" Naruto questioned, a little wary but he was beginning to get excited. _'Could I still become a genin?'_

"Yes. Follow me and I'll tell you more about it," Mizuki said.

"Okay," Naruto said as he got off the swing and began to follow Mizuki. Because Naruto was following behind Mizuki, he never saw the sinister smirk that briefly appeared on Mizuki's face.

* * *

AN: Gah! I have sooo much to do! Chem experiments, Term paper, essays, ACT prep! ~sigh~ I don't have as much time as I use to any more. I'm trying to keep my stories updated, but it's so hard to find the time to do it. – So anyway, I'm going to gradually give the back-story of why Naruto avoids Minato and Kushina and why they don't know who or where Naruto is. So, Please Review!


	3. Chapter Three: Who's There?

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, would I be writing fan fiction? – I obviously don't own Naruto.

Summary: Everyone has secrets. There are those who are trying to find out what it is that he is hiding and when his greatest secret comes into question, he will do anything to keep it hidden. Because if they knew his true identity, who knows what would happen.

AN: Naruto is Arashi. Arashi is Naruto. – Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes. Review Please.

Chapter Three: Who's There?

* * *

"One… two… three… and there it is… fourth door on the left," Naruto mumbled as he quickly ducked into the doorway. _'This is really intense for a genin exam. So far I've had to slip past the chuunin guards, avoid the rotations of the ANBU, and get to the top floor of the Hokage Tower…' _Naruto jiggled the door and then started to pick the lock. _'Even though Mizuki-sensei told me how to get here unnoticed, I'm really starting to think that this is a little too much.'_

"Damn it!" Naruto exclaimed quietly. "I can't get this door opened. Well, maybe I can-"

Naruto cut himself off when he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching. He slipped away from the door and ran into the room across the hall. _'Thankfully this door was unlocked,'_ Naruto thought as he softly shut the door behind him. The footsteps stopped in front of the room he was in. _'Oh no! Don't open this door. Don't open this door! Don't open this door! Don't open th-'_

The sound of a door opening got Naruto's attention and he cautiously opened the door a crack to see what was happening. Naruto managed to catch a glimpse of someone entering the room he had been trying to get into. _'Now's my chance!'_ he thought triumphantly.

Naruto eased his way out of the room and slowly approached the other door. He carefully pushed the door a little and it opened. _'Yes!'_ Naruto scanned the room for the person who had opened the door but he couldn't see anyone. He paused for a moment as he contemplated whether or not he should go ahead and enter. _'I'll just be extra careful,'_ Naruto reasoned. _'After all, I still want to become a genin and this is the only option I have. I need to complete this test.'_

Naruto cautiously weaved his way around the shelves filled with books and scrolls of all different sizes. He finally reached the back of the room where a large scroll rested on a stand.

"This looks like the scroll Mizuki-sensei said I had to get," Naruto said quietly as he looked around the scroll, trying to see if he could find any traps. When he didn't see any, he grabbed the scroll and made his way back to the door and out of the room. As he avoided the guards and finally got out of the Hokage Tower, he thought, _'That wasn't so bad. I'll bet is was Mizuki-sensei who unlocked the door.'_

Naruto picked up his pace and started to run to the place where he was supposed to meet Mizuki. Because Naruto was focused on getting to the meeting place, he never noticed that he was being followed.

* * *

"Hokage-sama."

"Yes?" Minato answered, looking up from the paperwork on his desk.

"A young boy is attempting to sneak onto this level of the Tower. Should we apprehend him?" the ANBU member said.

"A young boy?"

"Yes. Approximately eleven or twelve years of age, brown hair, blue eyes."

'_Is he that one boy? His name was Arashi, I think,'_ Minato wondered, having yet to forget his encounter with Arashi the previous week. "Allow him to continue and go back to your post."

Minato got up from his chair and started to walk to the door. "Thank you for informing me."

The ANBU member bowed before disappearing.

'_I think I'll see what this boy is up to,'_ Minato thought as he began to search for the boy.

After a few minutes, the Hokage found the boy. _'It is Arashi. I wonder what he's doing here.'_

Watching the boy come to a stop in front of a door and trying to pick the lock, Minato's eyes narrowed. _'Why is he attempting to get into that room?'_ Finally deciding to see what the boy was up to he let his presence be known by walking towards the door. Once he got there, Minato unlocked the door and went into the room. Soon enough, the boy walked into the room cautiously and made his way to the Forbidden Scroll. _'Is that what he's after? The Forbidden Scroll?… It looks like he's going to take it. I'll have to stop him.'_

As he was getting ready to grab the boy, Minato heard him say, "This looks like the scroll Mizuki-sensei said I had to get."

'_Mizuki? He was put up to it?'_ Minato thought. The Hokage slipped out after the boy._ 'I suppose I'll follow him and see where this leads.'_

"Mizuki-sensei said I had to get this scroll from the Hokage Tower and learn one jutsu to pass and since I don't know how long I'll have, I think I'll start looking at this now instead of waiting for Mizuki-sensei," Naruto said to himself as sat down and began to unroll the scroll.

"The first technique is…" Naruto mumbled to himself. "Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone)! Ah man! I suck at making clones," Naruto whined loudly.

"Ah well, if I'm gonna become a genin then I'm gonna have to learn this jutsu!"

'_Become a genin?' _Minato thought from his hidden spot on a tree branch. _'Even if he's determined, it won't be enough. Kage Bunshin is a jounin level jutsu. But I'll let him see how far he can get.'_

* * *

'_I-I can't believe he actually did it!'_ Minato thought in shock.

After watching the boy try and fail, but progressively get better over the past hour, Minato saw him successfully produce a Kage Bunshin and then ten.

"Ha! I finally did it! Now I can become a genin!" Naruto said a bit breathlessly. All the shadow clones dispelled and Naruto sat down to catch his breath. But Naruto didn't sit for long because he heard a rustling to his left. He stood up, clutching the scroll, and turned towards the noise.

"Well, well, well, I see you've got the scroll. Good job Arashi! Now, hand it over," Mizuki said as appeared near Naruto.

"B-but wait, don't you want to see me prefor-"

Mizuki cut Naruto off by saying, "You got the scroll and you've passed the test. You're a genin. So, you can give me the scroll now."

"I don't think I should. I mean, you said I had to learn a jutsu but you haven't asked me to perform it," Naruto said hesitantly.

"Just give me the scroll and you can show me what you learned later."

"No," Naruto said.

"If you don't do what I say, you won't become a genin," Mizuki said, irritated.

"I won't. And I don't think I should have listen to you. I'm going back… but if this is a real test, then I can go ask Iruka-sensei or another teacher at the academy."

"You're not going anywhere you brat!" Mizuki said as he quickly threw a handful of kunai at Naruto.

"Ah!" Naruto said as he dodged one or two kunai, but the rest managed to scratched him and one hit him in the middle of the his left leg. All the while, Naruto didn't release his grip on the scroll

"You'll take the fall and I'll get the Forbidden Scroll. It was ridiculously easy to fool you. It's no wonder you were the dead last of your class," Mizuki said, approaching Naruto, who was on the ground, clutching his leg with one hand and the scroll with the other. As Mizuki walked forward and began to talk, Naruto scooted backward.

"Tonight, I accepted a mission that would've taken me out of the village for at least a week. Once it has been noticed that both you and the scroll are missing, it won't take long for anyone to think that you stole the scroll and betrayed the village. While they are out looking for you and the scroll, no one will take the time to find that I am gone. When they find your body and realize that I'm missing, it will be too late and I'll be long gone by then."

Mizuki unhooked a Fuma Shuriken (A really big shuriken) from his back and poised to throw it at Naruto. "And now you die!"

As Mizuki threw the shuriken, Naruto realized he couldn't escape and shut his eyes. Instead of feeling a lot of pain, like he would of thought, Naruto found himself in a firm grip with his head resting on someone's shoulder. When Naruto opened his, he didn't know whether to be relieved or panicked.

The Yondaime Hokage was there, holding Naruto and glaring at Mizuki, who was now very pale. _'I.. I think I'll let myself relax a bit and let my fa- Minato. I'll let Minato-sama take over and deal with Mizuki.'_ Naruto thought as he started to relax from the tense position he was previously in.

"H-h-h-hokage-sama! Wh-what are you… err... as you can see, I was just stopping this little traitor from making off with the Forbidden Scroll," Mizuki said as he unconsciously took a step back.

"Really now?" Minato asked icily. "If that's the case, then I don't suppose that you mind talking to Ibiki about your… heroics."

"O-oh no. It's... uh… well, I-I should really be getting back to my house now… uh… s-seeing as you have, um, caught the traitor," Mizuki stammered.

"Ah, you misunderstand me. I wasn't asking you. I was telling you. If you don't comply willingly, then I will drag you to T&I myself. And trust me, it won't be pleasant," Minato said, discreetly adjusting his hold on Naruto to make a hand sign as he saw Mizuki take a few steps back.

As Mizuki turned to run, a Kage Bunshin of the Yondaime Hokage was blocking his way. Mizuki barely had time to gasp before he was knocked out.

"Take him to T&I and tell Ibiki he'll get the details tomorrow. For now, have them lock this traitor in a cell," Minato instructed his clone.

Minato looked down at the young boy in his arms. Because of the stress and training, coupled with the familiar embrace of his father, Naruto had fallen asleep, still awkwardly holding the Forbidden Scroll.

Letting loose a small half-smile, Minato said to himself, "I suppose we should get out of here too."

* * *

AN: Yes, I know that this is kind of a short chapter but I felt I should put it up anyway. I just turned in my Term Paper yesterday, which was a main reason of why I haven't updated anything for a while because I was stressed out about that. My ACT test is coming up shortly and then my Chem. experiment/documentary is due at an even later date so I have to keep studying and doing other homework. But I'll be able to write more since I'm no longer focused on writing a super long paper for my English class. Please Remember To Review!


	4. Chapter Four: What Should I Do?

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, would I be writing fan fiction? – I obviously don't own Naruto.

Summary: Everyone has secrets. There are those who are trying to find out what it is that he is hiding and when his greatest secret comes into question, he will do anything to keep it hidden. Because if they knew his true identity, who knows what would happen.

AN: Naruto is Arashi. Arashi is Naruto. – Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes. Review Please.

Chapter Four: What should I do?

* * *

"Hokage-sama?" an ANBU member inquired. After Minato's clone made it to T&I with Mizuki, a team of ANBU came to escort the Hokage and to help assess the situation.

"If you would take the Forbidden Scroll back to its proper place, I would appreciate it," Minato said, adjusting his hold on Naruto.

"Would you like us to take the boy as well?"

"No, he's fine with me. I will deal with this mess that Mizuki created tomorrow. Continue on with what you were doing," Minato replied. Once he could no longer see or sense the ANBU members, Minato shunshined (body flicker, basically a teleportation type technique) home.

As Minato walked through the door and into the living room, he heard Kushina call out. "You're home later than usual."

"Yeah, there was an unusual situation that I had to deal with," Minato responded.

"Oh? What happened?" Kushina said as she stepped into the living room. Her eyes swept over Minato and landed on the sleeping child in his arms.

"Who is he?" Kushina quietly questioned.

"This is Arashi, the kid who ran into you the other day, and he got into a bit of trouble tonight," Minato answered softly.

"What kind of trouble? Wait… never mind. You can tell me later. Let's get him into a bed."

Both Kushina and Minato went up the stairs and down the hall to the guest room. Kushina held the door open as Minato went in. The room was painted beige and the dresser and bed frame were made of dark oak. There were two windows on the far side of the room, opposite from the door. The sheets on the bed were a light brown and the pillows were a mix of light and dark brown.

"Not that I mind but why did you bring Arashi here, instead of taking him to his house? Surely his parents are worried," Kushina said as she pulled the sheets back.

"He fell asleep in my arms before I could ask him anything," Minato said, putting Naruto down on the bed and covering him up. Naruto began to stir before he turned on his side and fell back into a peaceful sleep.

Kushina sent him a questioning look. "He unintentionally helped me catch a traitor, but previous to that, he was working on a difficult jutsu. I'm also betting that it was a stressful experience for him, so it's no wonder he fell asleep. I'm just surprised that he fell asleep on me. When he first ran into us, he seemed almost terrified," Minato whispered.

"Well, it sounds like he was busy. Let's get out of here and let him sleep," Kushina said softly as she turned to leave the room. Minato followed Kushina out of the room and quietly shut the door behind him.

* * *

_A younger Naruto was running down an empty street, heading towards the Hokage Tower. The boy looked tired and his blond hair was unrecognizable with all the dirt he was covered in, but he still kept running. _

_Before he could get far, a man in an ANBU style mask appeared in front of him and stopped him. Naruto later found out that the man was a member of Root._

_"Naruto Namikaze."_

_It wasn't a question; it was a statement. _

_"Y-yeah?" Naruto answered._

_The man didn't respond, but he moved toward the boy. Naruto moved back as the man moved towards him, but the man reached over and grabbed the boy, transporting them to a different location. _

_After a moment of disorientation, Naruto looked around at the new surroundings, a little scared. It was a small room with three older people sitting in front of him, two men and one woman. The man who took him here was behind him. A moment later, the man in the mask bowed and disappeared out of the room. _

_"Naruto," said the older man who had bandages on his face._

_"Wh-who are you? Where am I? Where's mom and dad? I-I was trying to go find them. Wh-where are they?" asked the frightened young boy. _

_"Naruto Namikaze," the man said sternly. _

_"H-huh?"_

"_From this day forward you will no longer have any contact with Minato Namikaze or Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze," the man continued._

"_Wh-what?" Naruto questioned weakly._

"_Should you attempt to contact them in anyway, you will be dealt with severely. Do you understand?" demanded the man._

"_Wh-why?"_

"_Do you understand?"_

"_No! Why? Where are my mom and dad? I want-"_

"_What you want no longer matters. We have let the Yondaime continue this farce with you and the Kyuubi for long enough. For the good of Konoha, it will end now," the man said with the two others standing on either side of him._

"_I-I... What? The Sandaime killed the Kyuu-"_

"_The Kyuubi is not dead. It is sealed within you. You are nothing more than a demon brat. A jinchuuriki. Were it up to me, you would be nothing more that a weapon for this village, but it seems that the Yondaime deems it necessary to handle you with silk gloves. Because of that, Minato and Kushina are in the position that they are in now. It is your fault that they-"_

"_I think that is enough, Danzo. While we agree with you that his removal from the Yondaime's life, and the people's knowledge, is essential, he is still a child," said the woman._

"_Hn. From this day on Naruto Namikaze no longer exists. I do not care what you call yourself, but you will not alert anyone to your presence. Should you disobey, your punishment will be swift and efficient. You will not be killed because you still may be useful to this village. We will always have eyes on you and we will know if you go against what I have just stated. Do you understand?" demanded Danzo._

"_I-I…" Naruto trailed off, in shock from what he has learned._

"_Speak up boy!"_

"_Yes, I-I do…" Naruto said in a defeated tone. _

"_Good. You have one week to disappear and we shall help you get started. After six months you will be entirely on your own."_

* * *

The morning light shown through the curtains and onto a bed as a young boy was beginning to stir. The boy rolled over away from the windows and pulled the covers over his head. After a few minutes the boy poked his head out from under the covers and opened his eyes. Not recognizing his surroundings, the boy quickly sat up and looked around the room. _'What? This isn't my apartment...'_

"Where am I?" questioned Naruto aloud. _'And how did I get here?_' Naruto swung his legs over the side of the bed and got up. He walked to the door and slowly opened it a crack. _'I don't hear anyone. I guess I'll see where I am,'_ Naruto thought as he cautiously opened the door all the way, stepped out into the hall, and turned to the right. _'Coast is clear to the right.' _Taking a step backwards and turning around, Naruto ran into someone. Looking up, Naruto's eyes widened and he unconsciously took a step back. _'Th-this can't be happening! How?… L-last night! The scroll and Mizuki and I… I fell asleep. I can't believe I fell asleep!'_

"Good morning, Arashi. Did you sleep well?" Minato asked. "I was just coming to check on you."

'_Shit! What do I do?'_ "I… uh, y-yeah." Naruto cleared his throat. "Yeah, I slept fine." _'I shouldn't panic. That would defiantly cause suspicion.'_

"Would you like some breakfast? And, after that, we can talk about what happened last night," Minato said.

'_Great… Now what? I guess there's no real choice since he wants to talk. I don't think I'd be able to get out of it.'_ "Um, sure," answered Naruto.

"Alright then, follow me," Minato said.

Minato led Naruto down the hall and then down the stairs. As they went, Naruto looked down at his feet. After he saw Minato, Naruto recognized this as his old home and he kept from looking around so as not to bring up old memories. _'I'll have to get out of here as soon as I can.'_

When they arrived in the kitchen, Naruto saw Kushina facing away from them with her attention on the stove. "Go ahead and take a seat, Arashi," Minato said.

Hearing Minato talk, Kushina turned her head to look over her shoulder. "I hope you like scrambled eggs and bacon."

Naruto nodded slightly and sat down at the table, watching Minato get out the plates and silverware and Kushina serving the food. Minato sat at one end of the table and Kushina was sitting at the other end, leaving Naruto stuck in the middle. "I-I… err… thank you for the meal," Naruto said once he got his plate of food.

"It's no problem," Kushina responded.

As they began to eat, an awkward silence descended upon the three. Kushina didn't know what to say, Minato was thinking about how to start the conversation about last night, and Naruto wanted to find a way to quickly leave.

"So Arashi…" Kushina started. "I heard you had a busy night last night."

'_Thank you, Kushina, for creating that opening,'_ Minato thought.

"I, uh, yeah… I guess so," Naruto responded. "I'm not in too much trouble for last night, am I? Because if I was, I don't think I'd be here," Naruto directed his statement at the Fourth Hokage.

"No, you're not in trouble but I would like you to clear up a few questions for me," Minato said.

"Ok," Naruto agreed.

"But why don't we go ahead and finish eating breakfast."

* * *

"Why did you take the Forbidden Scroll, Arashi?" Minato asked. Kushina had gone out do some errands after breakfast and Naruto and Minato were seated in the Namikaze's living room. Naruto sat on a couch that was across from where the Yondaime was seated.

Fidgeting a little, Naruto answered Minato's question. "I had just fail the genin exam and Mizuki approached me, saying that there was a secret exam that would allow me to redeem myself and become a genin. I really wanted to become a genin and Mizuki was my teacher, so I thought it was a real exam. He told me where to get the scroll and where to meet him. I thought that the scroll I was supposed to get was unimportant or had some low level jutsu that I'd have to learn to become a genin. If I had known, I wouldn't have taken it, but I didn't and I know that's not an excuse. I should have known something was up. I'm sorry."

"While you did take the scroll, it's not entirely your fault, you were tricked by someone you thought you could trust. And, in the end, when you found out that things were not as they seemed, you didn't give the scroll to Mizuki. You also managed to learn a high level jutsu in a short amount of time," Minato said, looking at Naruto.

"H-how did you know that I learned that jutsu?" Naruto asked, shocked.

"My ANBU told me that there was a boy breaking into the Tower, so I decided to see what he was up to," Minato responded.

"If you knew what I was doing, why didn't you stop me before I got the scroll?" Naruto questioned in a small voice.

"I heard you talking to yourself about getting the scroll for Mizuki, so I figured that either you were an accomplice or you were set up. I let you continue with what you were doing to see what was really going on," Minato explained.

"What's going to happen now?" Naruto softly asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Right now," Minato said, pulling a hitai-ate out of his pocket and handing it to Naruto. Naruto looked up at him with wide eyes. "You will become a genin. I've reviewed your genin exam and, coupled with the events of last night, I don't see why you shouldn't become a genin. Seeing as the reason why you failed the genin exam yesterday was because you couldn't create a Bunshin and last night you succesfully preformed the Kage Bunshin, I believe that that will count as the ninjutsu you were asked to complete. There are no specifications as to what type of Bunshin you had to preform."

"I… thank you, thank you so much!" Naruto said as he clutched his hitai-ate tighter.

"You should go find Iruka to get the proper paper work filled out and so you can get your picture taken for your I.D. I believe those have to be turned in by the end of the week when you get assigned a sensei and a team," Minato said with a smile.

"Right," Naruto said, getting up to leave. Naruto reached the door but before he stepped outside, he turned back to Minato. "I'll… uh… see ya around?" Naruto asked a little uncertain.

"You bet, kiddo."

"Ok," Naruto said as he turned back around and stepped outside, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

AN: About the breakfast, I decided to go with a more Western-styled breakfast instead of a traditional Japanese breakfast. I'm going to slowly reveal the story behind why Minato and Kushina don't know about Naruto. FanFiction decided to not allow the spacers I put in between scenes so I had to go back and put in that line it allows. I'll also have to go back and do that to my other stories sometime. Don't forget to leave a Review!


	5. Chapter Five: What's Next?

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, would I be writing fan fiction? – I obviously don't own Naruto.

Summary: Everyone has secrets. There are those who are trying to find out what it is that he is hiding and when his greatest secret comes into question, he will do anything to keep it hidden. Because if they knew his true identity, who knows what would happen.

AN: Naruto is Arashi. Arashi is Naruto. – Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes. Review Please. For future reference a small flashback looks like this ~ _flashback_ ~.

Chapter Five: What's Next?

* * *

"Hey! Iruka-sensei! Guess what!" Naruto exclaimed as he burst through the door to his old classroom.

Iruka was sitting at his desk sorting through and filing paperwork for the genin graduates to finalize their promotion. He spoke to Naruto as he kept doing the paperwork. "Hmm… What Arashi?"

"Look at me, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto said impatiently.

Turning to Naruto, Iruka spotted the hitai-ate on Naruto's forehead. "Arashi! Where did you get that hitai-ate? Those are only for those who-"

"Pass the genin exam. I know," Naruto said, cutting off Iruka in mid lecture. "But I passed the exam!"

"Arashi, no you di-" Iruka started to say softly but Naruto interrupted him once again.

"Yes I did! Last night I did something and learned a different type of Bunshin and the Yondaime witnessed it and he said he looked at my results for my genin exam and he said that I pass since I did do a type of Bunshin and did some other things," Naruto said in a rush as he was trying to be vague and yet give Iruka some of the story.

"Ara-"

Iruka was cut off again as Naruto said, "And he also said I needed to come to you to get some paperwork or something to fill out and turn in so it'll be official."

Iruka stared at Naruto for a moment as if trying to determine whether or not Naruto was telling the truth or if this was going to turn out to be some type of prank. Deciding that he was telling the truth, Iruka scooted his chair back and got up, heading for the door. He motioned for Naruto to go ahead and sit down as he said, "Wait here a minute, Arashi. The paperwork you need is in the teacher's lounge."

"Okay, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said, making his way to sit down in a front seat.

As soon as Naruto couldn't hear Iruka's footsteps, he leapt out of his seat and walk up to Iruka's desk. "What was Iruka-sensei doin'?" Naruto asked himself looking at the papers on the desk_. 'Wait… is this?'_ "Oh man, am I going to have to fill out a bunch of forms? I thought I'd only have to say something about where I live and how old I am or something like that," Naruto said before he picked up one of the forms someone else had filled out. "Parents' names? Family history? How am I supposed to explain those?" Naruto asked rhetorically.

"Easily enough. You are an orphan who has no information about who your family was."

Because he thought he was alone and he wasn't expecting an answer, Naruto dropped the paper and quickly spun around, giving out a small shout of surprise.

"You!" Naruto exclaimed before putting a hand over his mouth and taking a small step backwards. _'I-it's that same ANBU guy. The one who took me to-'_

_~ A man in an ANBU style mask appeared in front of him and stopped him. _

_"Naruto Namikaze."_

_It wasn't a question; it was a statement. ~_

"Danzo-sama requires your presence. As soon as you are finished here, I will take you to him."

Just as Naruto was about to say something, the door to the room started to open. Seeing the Root member disappear, Naruto ran and jumped over the front desks, landing in a seat. Iruka came in the room with the papers in his hand. Walking over to Naruto, Iruka set the papers down on the desk in front of Naruto. Taking in Naruto's slightly startled expression and giving him a look that said I-know-you've-been-up-to-something-but-I'm-not-quite-sure-what, Iruka said, "These are the forms you need to fill out and you do need to fill out all of them. Don't skip any of the questions. If you need any help, you can come to me and ask. I should be here until four o'clock today and I'll probably be here from nine to four tomorrow. You also need to attach a photo of yourself to the form that has a space for the photo. A photographer will be here until five o'clock today and from noon to five the following days. When you get all the forms finished you can turn them into me. The sooner you turn them in the better and they must be turned in before this Friday."

"Okay," Naruto said, standing up and grabbing the forms. Before he made it out the door Iruka called out, "Hey Arashi!"

Turning around to look at Iruka, Naruto asked, "What Iruka-sensei?"

"Congratulations on becoming a genin," Iruka said with a smile.

Beaming, Naruto said, "Thanks!" And he walked out the door.

* * *

Once again, Naruto found himself in a place where he had no idea where he was. But unlike the last time, the only other person in the room besides himself and the ANBU member was Danzo. The room had no windows and was lit by a lamp that was on the edge of a desk. Danzo was sitting at the desk and Naruto was standing in front of it. At a signal from Danzo, the Root member disappeared.

Staring at Naruto, Danzo started to speak, "I heard that you have met up with the Yondaime and not only that, but you have also stayed at his house with him and his wife. I believe I made it clear that such contact is forbidden."

"It's not like I intended for that to happen," Naruto said, avoiding eye contact with Danzo.

"But it did happen and you now have the Yondaime's attention," Danzo said, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Neither he nor his wife have recognized you with your fake name, brown hair, and the genjutsu I put in place to cover those whisker like marks on your cheeks."

After a few minutes of silence, Naruto asked, "Are you wanting me to go back to going out of my way to avoid them, just to be safe?"

"No."

"No?" Naruto asked warily.

"If you purposefully avoid him and his wife, it will raise the Yondaime's suspicions. You will gradually break off contact with Minato and Kushina. After a few months, you will lose his attention and can go back to avoiding them without the negative repercussion of him or his wife getting suspicious."

"So I just greet them in the streets if I see them and then slowly start to ignore them?" Naruto questioned.

"Yes. And seeing as you have passed the genin exam, the chances of you interacting with the Yondaime have greatly increased. You will limit your contact with him when in his presence. One of you teammates or your teacher can talk to the Yondaime but you will not. Should you be asked to talk to him, you will be strictly professional. Do you understand?"

"I do."

"Good. Oh, and if I find out – and I will find out – that you interact with Minato and Kushina in a familiar or friendly fashion, accidents may start happening to the ones you call your friends. And should Minato or Kushina find out your true identity, you will disappear. You will not be killed, but you will be lock away until a day the nine-tailed fox's power is needed – should that day ever come – and I will tell you this, no matter how hard they will look, no one will find you. So it is in your best interest that you listen and do as I say."

* * *

It was the next day around one o'clock when Naruto walked back into his old classroom.

"Arashi? Do you need some help?"

"No thanks, Iruka-sensei. I got it all done so I'm turning it in," Naruto said as he walked up to Iruka who was sitting at his desk.

"You're done already?" Iruka asked.

"You did say to turn it in as soon as possible." Naruto handed the filled out forms to Iruka who quickly glanced at them to make sure they were filled out correctly.

"I just wasn't expecting it," Iruka said.

Naruto gave a small sheepish laugh and turned to head out the door. "Arashi?"

"Yeah, Iruka-sensei? Did I fill out something wrong?"

"No. Not from what I can tell so far, but I was wanting to know, it's been a while since we've gone to Ichiraku for ramen. Did you want to go there-"

"YES!"

"-for lunch," Iruka finished, getting up from his seat at the desk.

"Iruka-sensei, you're the best!" Naruto exclaimed, watching Iruka go to a filing cabinet.

"Alright, give me a minute to sort the forms you just gave me so I can turn them in with the other forms I received yesterday and today," Iruka said, pulling a few folders filled with papers from the top drawer of the cabinet.

After a moment or two of Iruka organizing the papers in the folders and Naruto shifting from his left foot to his right, Iruka finished sorting the forms and stacked the folders into one pile. Picking the pile up, Iruka walked out the door with Naruto following him.

"I have to drop these off on the way to Ichiraku."

"Lead the way, sensei!" Naruto said as he raced ahead to get out of the academy.

"Arashi," Iruka laughed. "How am I supposed lead the way when you're running ahead of me?"

Waiting by the academy entrance, Naruto said, "I was gonna wait for you."

"Never mind then, come on." Iruka continued to walk with Naruto keeping up beside him. After a few minutes of heading in the general direction of Ichiraku, Iruka commented, "You're being awfully quiet Arashi. Is everything alright?"

"Oh, err, it's nothing, Iruka-sensei. I just have a lot on my mind," Naruto sighed. Seeing the curious look being given to him by Iruka, Naruto quickly continued, "With me becoming a genin and all, I'm thinking about all the missions and training I'll get to do." _'In other words, I'm trying to figure out how to discreetly avoid the Yondaime and his wife.'_

"Well, if you ever need to talk about anything, you can come to me," Iruka said.

Naruto nodded before asking, "By the way, didn't you say you needed to drop those folders off somewhere? Where are you taking them to?"

"I need to take them to the Hokage Tower so the Hokage can look over everything and finalize the genin teams," Iruka responded.

"So… you have to give them to the Hokage?"

"Yes."

"Directly to the Hokage, as in you have to hand them to him and not drop them off with someone else who could give the folders to him?"

"Yes. I hand them to him personally to guarantee that no forms get lost. Why do you ask?" Iruka asked as Naruto looked down.

"No reason," Naruto said. "Hey, Iruka-sensei? I'm just gonna go ahead and meet you at Ichiraku."

"Are you sure?" Iruka asked.

"Yeah," Naruto said.

* * *

"Here is most of the paperwork for the genin graduates, Hokage-sama. I'm still waiting on a few more genin to turn their forms in." Iruka walked forward and placed the pile of folders on the desk.

"Thank you, Iruka," Minato said from his place behind his desk. "If that is all…"

Hearing the dismissal, Iruka said, "Yes it is. I will bring the rest of the forms before Friday."

Minato nodded and Iruka walked out the door. With a sigh, the Yondaime said himself, "The incident with Mizuki created more paperwork than I would've liked and now I have more paperwork to look over. I suppose I should start with these now instead of waiting until the last minute."

* * *

"What's up Minato?"

"Hmm?"

"You've been distracted since you've gotten home," Kushina said, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorway to living room.

"I don't think I've been that distracted," Minato countered, leaning back into the couch.

"Minato," Kushina began with a small laugh as she made her way across the room. Minato scooted over a bit to make room for her to sit down next to him. When she sat down, she smiled at him and said, "You put soy sauce in your tea instead of honey at dinner tonight. If that isn't distracted…" Kushina gave her husband a knowing look as she trailed off.

"Okay, I might have been a bit distracted at dinner," Minato admitted.

"What's on your mind?" Kushina asked. " Or is it some top secret Hokage business that you can't share with your wife?"

"No, it's nothing like that. I was just thinking about Arashi," Minato said, putting an arm around Kushina's shoulders.

Resting her head on his shoulder, Kushina said, "Did you talk to his parents about his unusual graduation?"

"No, I didn't."

"Oh? Why not? If he were my son, I'd be curious about him being gone all night, especially the night of the graduation exam. Even if he did tell his parents what had happened, I'd think that they would want to confirm the story with you," Kushina said.

"Well," Minato began to say hesitantly. "Arashi doesn-"

"Ah," Kushina interrupted. "You talked with Arashi today?"

"No. But I went over the forms he was required to fill out and I found that he doesn't have parents. Well, obviously he did, but what I mean to say is that he's an orphan."

"He is?" Kushina asked softly.

"Yeah," Minato answered.

"I know you're a bit concerned, but that's not what has you distracted."

"You know me too well, Kushina," Minato teased.

"I'd like to think so," Kushina said with a smile. "But seriously, what's bothering you?"

"His birthday," Minato answered.

"What about Arashi's birthday?" Kushina questioned.

"He was born on October 10th."

Jerking her head off of his shoulder, Kushina looked at Minato. "October 10th as in -"

Nodding, Minato finished her sentence. "The day the Kyuubi attacked the village and the day… the day Naruto was born."

"You don't think he's -"

"He's not. I had someone in records pull up Arashi's birth certificate."

Laying her head back down on Minato's shoulder, Kushina closed her eyes. "It's just a coincidence that Arashi was born that day, right?"

"I'd like to think so," Minato answered. "But there are no coincidences in the ninja world."

* * *

AN: I have a long trip coming up so I am preparing for that which is why I'm not on the computer all that much meaning I may not update that often. This story has my full attention though, so I might not update my other stories for a while. The reason why Naruto kept his birthday date the same is that it was something he refused to let go of. Danzo allowed it and created the false birth certificate. Please remember to leave a Review.


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